Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-04
NORTH CAROLINA.
A MURDERER LONG WANTED CAPTURED
IN VIRGINIA.
The Supreme OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Improvements-Personal Notes
Brief Mention.
rspocIal telegram to tho DIspatch.l

the Tenth district to-day. Not half the
cases on the docket were argued. Most
were continued until the next term.
Suit has been brought against Char
lotte by the wster-works company Tor
81, 100. The city refuses to pay this, due
for rental, on the ground that the water
works company has failed to meet the
requirements of the contract, and that
the contract is annulled. The matter
goes into the Federal court The city
will construct its own water-works.
James Byers, wanted for numbering
Henry Edwards ia August of last year,
has been at last captured and lodged IN
jail at Wilkesboro'. He was captured IN
Russell county, Va, by a man named
Michael Woody, who had tracked him
for some DAYS, and who arrested him
while in his house on Clinch river.
Byers was living there with his family,
and was raising crop. lie made no
attempt to escape.
A man named Stone, who was Byerss
accomplish, was tried last spring IN
Wilkes. convicted Of manslaughter, and
sent to the penitentiary here for long
term. Byers bad been in Virginia ever
since directly after the murder
MANUFACTURERS.
Your correspondent had an interview
to-day with MIR. w. n. Jones, the chief
of the new Bureau OF Labor Statistics.
He is filling the duties OF the position
with zeal and ability. Just now be is at
work on his first report, which will make
n volume of some $50 pages, of which
200 are completed. All this is the first
venture in new field in North Carolina,
and many things in the report will be,
in sense, revelations. The report will
embody all possible information re-
garding wages of employees, matters rela-
tive to industrial and farming operations,
&c. Mr.. Jones said: There are eighty
cotton factories, which annually con-
sume 30,000,000 pounds OF the staple.
MANY new factories are in course OF
operation. No less than $4,000, 900 IS
invested in these factories, or double the
amount invested in 1880, as stated IN the
census returns. There are 175 tobacco
factories, with an invested capital OF be-
tween 100000 and $4,000, 900. One
factory alone has S1,OOO,OOO capital.
The increase in the capital invested IN
tobacco-factories shows fully 100 per
cent. increase as compared with 1881,
taking the census returns again as a
guide. People really do not know how
rapidly manufacturing is progressing
and developing in North Carolina. 1t
is really wonderful when we contemplate
what has been done in two thirds
of the decade which began IN
1881. and learn that twice as much capt.
tai is invested in the cotton and tobacco
manufacture now as was then invested.
In other respects similar progress has
been maintained. No such exposition,
in an entirely simple and unostentatious
way, has yet been made OF North Caro-
lina's industrial achievement and adj
vancement as this report will make. 1t
will appear, the commissioner expects,
about January list.
RAILROADS.
The extension Of the Scotland-Neck
railroad to Greenville will cross the
Albemarle and Raleigh railroad near
Bethel. Pitt county. The construction
is to begin at once, the Wilmington and
Weldon railroad being the builder. In
nine months it will be in operation. 1t
will be then extended to Washington and
Newberne, of course.
A 800, 900 cotton-factory is to be built
in Cleveland county, which, by the way,
is coming to the front as location for
manufacturing enterprises.
sCHooL-TAX.
Acknowledgement Davidson, in an
opinion on the collection of the school.
tax, informs Major Finger, Superintend-
ent of Public Instruction, that it is the
duty of every tax-collector and sheriff to
collect and pay over to the county trea-
surers on or before the last day OF each
| Decemberthe whole amountof taxlevied
for school purposes in each county, and
that to enable them to do this they have
full power to sell property, the same as
is conferred by law Tor the collection OF
other county taxes.
Rev. DR.. j. ID. Huffman, one OF the
most earnest and able of the Baptist
preachers in the State, has been unani
mously called to the pastorate of the
church at Scotland Neck which he for.
merly served. He resigned it some time
ago do some other special work.
POLITICAL.
The Republicans are endeavoring tC
create and disseminate the impression
that there is bitter and widespread oppo
sition TO the present system OF county
government among the people IN the
! Piedmont and Western sections. A we'll
informed Democrat from Iredell county
saws that Democrats there are IN favor
of standing squarely by the present sys
tenn and of defending it as right in itself
and as being in accordance with the
usages of the fathers He declares that
there is not q particle of sentiment
against it in Iredell, save among radical
politicians, and says the same is true as
regards the mountain country west aud
north OF Iredell. Yet on this issue Mr.
Richmond Pearson proposes to make his
campaign for Congress IN the trans-mon-
tame district next year.
Mecklenburg Presbytery will meet IL
called session at Charlotte Monday.
All attempts to capture Bridgers, the
Granville county man who week before
last shot and killed Wake county mar
/ named Ray. have failed. 1t is said tina
the latter had spoken lightlyo Bridgers'i
sister and was generally pretty tough
character. So public sympathy is witt
Bridgers and he will hardly be molested.
Excellent work is being done by Colo
mel John ID. Whitford i'll opening Con
tentnea creek, or Moccasln river, K
navigation. He expects at slight cost t.
make it navigable as far up as the bridge
on the Wilmington and Weldon railroad
three miles from Wilson, and possibly
even further up. he is now at work be
tween Snow Hill and Stantonsburg.
This city will probably adopt thu
Gamewell fre-alarm system, in prefer
ence to the Richmond system. Tit
Board of Aldermen held long an(
lively session on this matter last night
The committee recommended the Game
well system. Finally the board adj
iourned until next Friday evening, wheI
definite action will be taken.
The State Board of Agriculture
Governor Scales presiding-will NEE
next Wednesday for the purpose, mainly
of electing a State chemist to fill the